The week's best TV

November 12, 2012|By Chuck Barney, Contra Costa Times

TUESDAY: Josh Brolin narrates the crazily ambitious "Mankind: The Story of All of Us," a 12-part miniseries covering the entire history of the human race. Sounds like a laborious homework assignment to us. 8 p.m., History

WEDNESDAY: The critics hated it and viewers mostly ignored it. Still, "Whitney" was renewed and launches its second season tonight, replacing that sitcom with a monkey that critics hated and viewers ignored. 7 p.m., NBC

WEDNESDAY: In August, the Curiosity rover touched down inside Mars' Gale Crater, carrying 10 new instruments that will advance the quest for signs that the Red Planet might once have been suitable for life. The new episode of "Nova," "Ultimate Mars Challenge" chronicles the exhilarating moments after Curiosity's landing, with inside access to the team of scientists and engineers responsible for the rover's on-the-ground experiments. 9 p.m. WTTW

WEDNESDAY: "Eddie Murphy: One Night Only" is a special that celebrates the career achievements of the actor-comedian. We're guessing that they'll want to gloss over "The Adventures of Pluto Nash." 9 p.m., Spike

SATURDAY: Sappy TV movie alert: Marilu Henner and Harry Hamlin star as former lovebirds in "Holiday High School Reunion," a film that might force us to hit the eggnog a little earlier than we expected. 7 p.m., Lifetime

SUNDAY: "The Simpsons" puts Homer in a spot when he learns his bowling buddy does accounting for the mob; Lisa starts eating insects after she passes out while playing her saxophone. 7 p.m., Fox

SUNDAY: Ken Burns' latest documentary film, "The Dust Bowl," surveys the causes of the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, when the frenzied wheat boom of the Great Plow-Up, followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s, nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation. Interviews with 26 survivors, dramatic photographs and seldom-seen movie footage bring to life stories of incredible human suffering and equally incredible perseverance. The conclusion airs Monday. 7 p.m., WTTW